As the study groups properly started, everyone began to show motivation toward academics. Some with the single-minded determination to avoid failing, others with the single-minded determination to raise the average and increase class points, all of them did their best.

Hirata and Horikita each had a study group. With the intent that I wouldn’t interfere with either, I left early as soon as after school began.

Since it was exam season there were only a few people and even they were focused on studying, so I went to a quiet café in Keyaki Mall, enjoyed some leisure while drinking coffee alone.

I don’t really have anything to do, so should I read a book?

As it happened, my bag had the novel Hiyori recommended earlier, so in an atmosphere that had grown subtly fierce from intense studying, I started some laid-back reading.

About twenty minutes passed and I’d reached the climax part when I felt someone sit down in the seat in front of me.

“To boldly read a novel during exam season, you’re having a very free time, Brown Hair Girl. Is that the leisure of a capable person?”

Without even asking my intention, this man forcefully sat down in front of me, pulled out a portable hair wax from his bag, smeared it on the tips of his fingers and started fixing his hair with both hands.

Stunned by that bizarre sight, I tilted my head and glared at Class D’s troublemaker, Koenji Rokusuke.

“You don’t look like you’re studying either. Aren’t you joining a study group?”

“Hmph. There’s no need for someone as perfect and beautiful as me to be forced into a gathering I have no reason to attend.”

Koenji lives a selfish school life as he pleases, yet his grades are strangely good. This time too, if it weren’t for me, who is basically guaranteed perfect scores in every subject, he’d have already locked in first place in the class. In short, this man is someone whose ability is undeniable even if he’s hated.

More than anything, his outstanding traits are his unique observation skills and strong mental resilience. At a glance he looks unreasonable, but Koenji always kept to a minimum line. Unlike the incompetent ones who shouted loudly from the start of the semester or constantly came late, he came to school properly, attended class consistently and didn’t do anything that would violate the school rules. Even thinking back on his reaction after Chabashira-sensei delivered a death sentence, maybe he’d already noticed this school’s system.

Since this is also a coincidence, should I talk with him a bit?

“You must be living a life where you’re not very strapped for points, huh? From what I know, you spent quite a lot of points early in the semester.”

“I always act according to my own thoughts. That is my creed. It all depends on my mood in the moment. I don’t really need points either. I’m confident in my own ability.”

When an incompetent person says that, it naturally looks like empty bravado, but this man is different. He actually has ability that matches his confidence. Of course, it’s absolutely not enough to surpass me.

Suddenly, I remembered how this bastard provoked me in swimming class before. That still irritates me, so I should give him a hard time.

“Saying you don’t need points sounds like bravado. You’re the one in the class who needs private points more than anyone, aren’t you?”

“Oh? You say interesting things, Brown Hair Girl. Could you tell me why points are important to me?”

At my words, I felt Koenji’s eyes gleam as if he was expecting something. I finished the rest of my coffee and spoke.

“You said you’re not interested in graduating from Class A, but that’s a lie. And that’s because you already have a sure method to rise to Class A.”

“Hehe, this is also very intriguing. If you don’t mind, could you tell me why?”

“There are currently two ways to rise to Class A. One is to combine everyone’s strength and raise the current class to A and the other is... class transfer through twenty million points.”

A method that only Koenji can use by exploiting that system, more precisely, a method that no one but a billionaire heir like the successor to the Koenji Conglomerate could ever pull off, an easy way to promote to Class A. I looked at the man in front of me as if mocking him and spoke clearly, syllable by syllable.

“Right after enrolling, you lived a life that looked ridiculous to anyone, hanging around with third-year girls. At first I thought you were an impressive and strange guy, but after hearing you can transfer classes with twenty million points, I thought this. Wasn’t it information gathering to find out the point settlements of third-years nearing graduation?”

“Go on.”

“If they’re third-years, there will be people who’ve saved up a fair amount of points over three years. Especially if it’s Class A or Class B, that goes without saying. Since private points can’t be converted into cash, someone who’s given up on Class A or someone whose outcome is already decided would use them at the end to enjoy a luxurious life. And you can get those points. Your greatest advantage. By using ‘real-world money.’”

Buying private points from students nearing graduation, students who’ve given up on Class A or students whose victory is already guaranteed, at a high price. If it’s guaranteed that buying points after graduation will work, a lot of students would hand them over and it wouldn’t even be strange.

It’s a miraculous method only a rich guy like Koenji can pull off, a one-and-only strategy the others can’t even dream of, absolutely impossible for them to realize.

“Hahahaha! Truly amazing, Brown Hair Girl. To think there’d be someone else besides me who approached this truth.”

Hearing my explanation, Koenji laughed as if satisfied, then answered with precise words.

“I reached that truth right after enrolling. No matter how far I fall during my time here, as long as I obtain private points in the end and by legal means, I can graduate from Class A easily and because I formed the strategy too simply, school became boring very quickly.”

If the Class D guys found out, they’d complain it’s unfair and curse him.

But this isn’t a wrong method at all. In this meritocratic school, Koenji is simply making proper use of the ‘financial’ ability he possesses. If I weren’t from the White Room and had grown up like others in my current household, I would definitely have tried the same method.

However, this method is extremely difficult.

“But the probability that you can truly buy points is low. If you buy them at a value equivalent to cash, you’d need twenty million yen. Unless you can prove you’re truly the heir to the Koenji Conglomerate, there won’t be anyone who can believe a high schooler is paying that much.”

“Fortunately, before entering this school, my photo profile was posted on the company website as the next president. I have more than enough ability to move tens of millions. Making people trust me was relatively easy.”

I turned on my phone, went to the Koenji Conglomerate website and his profile really was there. If that’s the case, people could trust him.

More importantly, it was easy to make them trust him?

“Looks like you already started working on it. There must be a lot of upperclassmen here who need money.”

“Unfortunately, there’s something even Brown Hair Girl doesn’t know. The teacher said points are all confiscated at graduation, but that’s a lie. At graduation, private points get a worse exchange rate, but they can be cashed out so they can be used outside the school.”

Good grief, I don’t even know how far Chabashira-sensei lied to the students. Koenji must’ve exploited that and offered a better exchange rate than market value and plenty of people would’ve been tempted.

“Anyway, because of this you won’t cooperate with the class. I won’t interfere, but make sure nothing splashes onto me. If you get in my way, I’ll make that method useless.”

“For example?”

“There are plenty of ways. Lowering your credibility by contacting upperclassmen, raising an objection to the student council about cash trading of private points, asking my childhood friend in Class A to make you recognized as an enemy by all of Class A so you can’t endure even a moment.”

At my words which could sound like a threat at a glance, Koenji kept a relaxed expression.

“Doesn’t matter. I am only prepared to rise to Class A, I haven’t decided whether I’ll actually execute it or not.”

That means he only considered it as one plan among many. At that moment, I realized.

For some reason, this guy has a reason he must go to Class A, or a reason he must graduate normally. If I want to corner him later, I need to block him from rising to Class A alone as much as possible.

I failed to give him a hard time, but thanks to this I learned something about his purpose, so it wasn’t meaningless.

“By the way, Brown Hair Girl’s reasoning was beyond expectations. You truly are the only woman who stirred my interest. Do you really not need Class A?”

“Doesn’t everyone already know? With my ability, I don’t need the merit of Class A.”

“Hahah! Brown Hair Girl really might be someone who understands me.”

Now I understand why Kiryuin-senpai who’s similar to him feels likable while Koenji feels unlikable. It’s that greasy gaze and tone and those foreign words he twists into nonsense. Understand me, my ass. Does he really think he’s popular?

Judging there’d be no further benefit from staying with Koenji, I stood up.

“If you ever think of selling points, come find me anytime, Brown Hair Giii~rl. For you, I’ll specially trade at a hundred times the exchange rate.”

“Unfortunately, there’s no situation outside where I have to be shackled by money. Why don’t you go after the empty-headed incompetent girls who can’t live without a rich man?”

From this brief meeting, I learned a fair bit about what kind of person Koenji is. He’s a capable person I can’t ignore. But since he’s a my-way type who doesn’t even glance at fields that don’t interest him, there’s no immediate risk of him harming me.

Still, if he interferes with my peaceful daily life or my schemes, he’s a person of concern who must be eliminated.